IFBF P&E Committee tours Canary Creek

Cataldo--Logging operations move at a swift pace on Canary Creek just outside of Cataldo, Idaho. The nation’s building supplies are scarce and expensive and that's stepped up logging in North Idaho.

“There's just a huge demand for lumber.”

That's Reid Ahlf with the Idaho Forest Group. He gave the Idaho Farm Bureau’s Promotion and Education Committee a tour of the logging operation, so members could see firsthand the lumber supply and demand issue.

In the last 10 years, very few homes were built. According to the latest Housing report so far this year, 1.7 million housing starts, that's a 30.2% increase over last year. The cost of 2X4’s and plywood are skyrocketing to record high if you can find them.

“Then all of sudden there’s this huge demand for lumber, and we can’t make it fast enough,” said Ahlf.

Promotion and Education Members see first hand what’s happening in the lumber market, and they’re learning new logging techniques that are fast and efficient, P and E Chair Alan Clark:

“It's exciting to see all the big equipment. Just like agriculture, there’s so much that goes into producing a 2X4 that's in the store. We see that they’re in there, we can go and pick them up whenever we want but these men and women out here working, provide that lumber for us. The infrastructure and the manpower it takes to produce the lumber, It's just amazing to be out here on the mountain and see the process,” said Clark.

A process understood and respected by hardworking farmers. For the Voice of Idaho Agriculture, I'm Jake Putnam